Portal:Peru

Introduction

Republic of Peru
República del Perú (Spanish)
CapitalLima
12°2.6′S 77°1.7′W / 12.0433°S 77.0283°W / -12.0433; -77.0283
ISO 3166 codePE

Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil, to the southeast by Bolivia, to the south by Chile, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is a megadiverse country, with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west, to the peaks of the Andes mountains extending from the north to the southeast of the country, to the tropical Amazon basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon River. Peru has a population of over 32 million, and its capital and largest city is Lima. At 1,285,216 km2 (496,225 sq mi), Peru is the 19th largest country in the world, and the third largest in South America.

Peruvian territory was home to several cultures during the ancient and medieval periods, and has one of the longest histories of civilization of any country, tracing its heritage back to the 10th millennium BCE Caral–Supe civilization, the earliest civilization in the Americas and considered one of the cradles of civilization. Notable succeeding cultures and civilizations include the Nazca culture, the Wari and Tiwanaku empires, the Kingdom of Cusco, and the Inca Empire, the largest known state in the pre-Columbian Americas. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and Charles V established a viceroyalty with the official name of the Kingdom of Peru that encompassed most of its South American territories, with its capital in Lima. Higher education started in the Americas with the official establishment of the National University of San Marcos in Lima in 1551.

Peru's population includes Mestizos, Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechuan languages, Aymara, or other Indigenous languages. This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music. Peru has recently gained international recognition for its vibrant gastronomy, blending Indigenous, Spanish, African, and Asian influences. Lima is now considered a global culinary capital, home to award-winning restaurants like Central and Maido. (Full article...)

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Peru sent a delegation to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 12 to 28 February 2010. This marked Peru's debut at the Winter Olympics. The Peruvian delegation consisted of three athletes: two alpine skiers—Manfred Oettl Reyes and Ornella Oettl Reyes—and the cross-country skier Roberto Carcelen. The nation's best performance in any event was 67th place in the men's giant slalom alpine skiing event by Manfred Oettl Reyes. (Full article...)

Selected image

Photo credit: Ericbronder

The Peruvian Legislative Palace (Spanish: Palacio Legislativo) houses the unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru (Congreso de la República) with its 120 Members of Congress (Congresistas). The current building was finished in 1938, during the presidency of Óscar R. Benavides. It is located on Bolívar Square, named in honor of the South American independence leader Simón Bolívar whose statue is in front of the building. (more...)

Selected battle

The Naval Battle of Iquique was a confrontation occurred on May 21, 1879; during the naval stage of the War of the Pacific, a conflict between Chile and the alliance between Peru and Bolivia. This battle took place on the shores of the Peruvian port of Iquique, where the Peruvian ironclad Huáscar, commanded by the Captain Miguel Grau Seminario sunk the Esmeralda, an old Chilean wooden corvette led by Captain Arturo Prat Chacón; after four hours of combat. This event has become one of the most emblematic battles of this war due to the glorification of the fallen Chilean captain Prat and Peruvian Captain Miguel Grau's noble gesture of saving the enemy crew and rescuing Prat's body. (more...)

In this month

  • July 19, 1991 - The Nuevo Sol was introduced as the official currency to replace the Inti.
  • July 27, 1995 - A new unicameral 90-seat Congress was created.

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Selected article -

Fujimori in 1991

Alberto Kenji Fujimori Fujimori (26 July 1938 – 11 September 2024) was a Peruvian politician, professor, and engineer who served as the 54th president of Peru from 1990 to 2000. Born in Lima, Fujimori was the country's first president of Japanese descent, and was an agronomist and university rector prior to entering politics. Fujimori emerged as a politician during the midst of the internal conflict in Peru, the Peruvian Lost Decade, and the ensuing violence caused by the far-left guerilla group Shining Path. In office as president, Fujimori implemented a series of military reforms and responded to Shining Path with repressive and lethal force, successfully halting the group's actions. His economic policy and his neoliberal political ideology of Fujimorism rescued Peru's economy and transformed its governance in the midst of its internal conflict. However, his administration was also controversial for alleged abuses of human rights and authoritarian tendencies.

In 1992, during his first presidential term, Fujimori, with the support of the National Intelligence Service and the Peruvian Armed Forces, adopted Plan Verde and carried out a self-coup against the Peruvian legislature and judiciary. Fujimori dissolved the Peruvian Congress and Supreme Court, effectively making him a de facto dictator of Peru. The coup was criticized by Peruvian politicians, intellectuals and journalists, but was well received by the country's private business sector and a substantial part of the public. Following the coup d'état, Fujimori drafted a new constitution in 1993, which was approved in a referendum, and was elected as president for a second term in 1995 and controversially for a third term in 2000. Fujimori's time in office was marked by severe authoritarian measures, excessive use of propaganda, entrenched political corruption, multiple cases of extrajudicial killings, and human rights violations. Under the provisions of Plan Verde, Fujimori targeted members of Peru's indigenous community and subjected them to forced sterilizations. (Full article...)

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Peru
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Buildings and structures in Peru
Culture of Peru
Economy of Peru
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English art historian, writer, antiquarian and politician Horace Walpole 1717–1797

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